Spring migration is back on schedule

With April gone by we are already forgetting about the blocking weather patterns in the North Atlantic that delivered places in eastern Newfoundland with a record high monthly rain fall. There was a shortage of sun and there was almost none of the west and southwest winds required for smooth uninterrupted migration of birds from mainland North America to Newfoundland and Labrador.

That all began changing in the last days of the April as the weather systems began to flow again. Bird migration started up with vigour as the birds jumped on the favourable airflow.

Ruby-crowned kinglets began to populate the forest. Savannahs sparrows moved in to the grassy areas. Ospreys reappeared at most of the well-known nest sites. Less obvious were the return of merlins to wooded areas and northern harriers to the open barrens. The first few hermit thrushes white-throated sparrows and yellow-rumped warbler appeared. American bitterns started pumping out their spring display at select wetlands across the island.

A fast moving storm with strong southerly winds on April 27 carried a number of birds beyond their normal range.

The rose-breasted grosbeak is a flashy black and white bird with a bleeding heart pink breast patch. The females are duller, looking more like a large sparrow. A dozen or so rose-breasted grosbeaks showed up at bird feeders across southern Newfoundland. Rose-breasted grosbeaks are a fairly common woodland bird in eastern North America but is rare in our province.

After being carried farther north than they intended to go they will hopefully re-orientate after refuelling at the bird feeders.

Other interesting birds carried too far north on the same weather system were a pair of indigo buntings at Cape St. George, a single indigo bunting at Portugal Cove South and a stunning male scarlet tanager was photographed at Branch by Florence Power.

A very early gray catbird and a veery ( a species of thrush) found on Powles Head near Trepassey during the same period were probably part of this event also.

Long-distance migrants like the rose-breasted grosbeak travelling from wintering grounds in Central America to the eastern United States and the Maritime Provinces in spring have more chances to be misguided by the weather than a species with a shorter route or no migration at all.

This is why birders are left wondering if it was just coincidental that a white-breasted nuthatch appeared at Pouch Cove at the same time when the rose-breasted grosbeaks arrived?

The white-breasted nuthatch is generally considered a non-migratory species, meaning it does not move much from the area where it hatched.

I must admit when I heard through the grapevine that a white-breasted nuthatch was photographed at a Pouch Cove feeder I was a little sceptical, thinking it was probably going to be a very pale red-breasted nuthatch, a common Newfoundland species. But Sandra Murray was absolutely correct! Her pictures showed an incontestable white-breasted nuthatch at her bird feeder.

It was a two day wonder that many birders from the northeast Avalon were able to view thanks to the generosity of Sandra.

How did it get here? Where would it go next?

Oh the stories that bird could enlighten us with. Actually, there have been two previous white-breasted nuthatches in Newfoundland. One as at bid feeder in St. Lawrence, Burin Peninsula for a month in late fall 2011 and the other at Sandy Cove, Eastport Peninsula, in late April 2013.

Birds are always throwing us for a loop.

There were other odds and ends of interest for the rare bird seekers.

Megan Buer and Blair Dudeck contributed a pair of blue-winged teal at Chapels Cove and a laughing gull at St. Mary’s. The teal hung around for a few days to the delight of Avalon birders but the less obliging gull was never seen again. A female gadwall was an unusual duck to be hanging out with the northern pintail at Portugal Cove South. Another of those rare Eurasian shorebirds called a ruff has been pleasing birders at Renews for about 10 days.

There are rewards for night time birding in spring.

Darroch Whitaker and Holly Lightfoot conducting an owl survey on the west coast in Rocky Harbour heard three northern saw-whet owls and two great horned owls but their real reward was two American woodcock.

These nocturnal members of the shorebird family occur in southwest Newfoundland but their whereabouts is still mostly a mystery because of their nocturnal habits and the mostly diurnal habits of birdwatchers.

We are into the sweet birding month of May. The arrival of a new migrants is possible every day. Plus there is a regular procession of rare and unusual birds to the province adding spice to every week.

Enjoy the times.